A Mischievious Little Scamp
by Sasha Vesna
Summary: A young Breton girl struggles to find her place in the world. It is made even harder by the world around her. Will she find her place with her pranks, or get it beat out of her by superiors?  And will she remember her past before her Dark Brotherhood life
1. Chapter 1

This is my idea of a comedy. It is not that funny, but it teaches a lot of life lessons. Such as never mess with a 300 year old pissed off vampire or a stuck up Mages' Guild member or a big orc Fighter. I'm planning to expand it beyond the dark brotherhood in the next chapters, but since it is my favorite place, and I want to see Lucien annoyed, I'm starting here. Hope you enjoy it! And yes, my sense of humor is one of the worst in the world. Even I know that.

* * *

Karin was sulking. While Antoinetta was away completing a contract, she was stuck with the cooking. Karin did feel relieved that she would not have to eat Antoinetta's deadly explosive food, she was not happy that she was stuck with the chores. Now for a week, she will have to get up early and cook breakfast for the Sanctuary's inhabitants. She tried again to get her unruly carrot-orange hair out of her eyes. It fell back down. She was in fact used to this, but sometimes it did get anoying. With one eye, as always, covered by her hair, she resumed the task.

She started to beat the eggs angrily untill it turned to a liquedy mixture, and poured some onto a ceramic plate. In her anger, she sent too much heat through the plate, and it cracked, also burning the batter into a crispy charcoal once again.

Cursing, she brought out another plate, and repeated the process more carefully. She placed the now hot plate on the table and waited for the pancake to cook. After 30 seconds she flipped it over with a spatula and waited some more. After it was done, she floated it over to a silver plate on the dinner table with a telekinesis spell and repeated the process correctly several times.

She stopped though when she heard the door open, and nearly blasted the newcomer away with a fireball into Oblivion (metamorphically that is). After all, it was Vicente who suggested that she would cook.

The vampire stared in wonder at all of the broken plates and black mass on the floor. "I'm really sorry that you get stuck with the chores, but I seriously had no other choice. Telaendril is always away, Teinavaa and Ocheeva love extremely spicy food, we would be eating soup if Gorgon cooks cause he would mash it to a pulp, and I wouldn't put it past Mraaj-Dar to poison us…"

"Okay, I get it," Karin aquisited, "but what about getting your lazy butt over here and cooking once in a while?"

"I'm busy," was all that Vicente said as he walked down the corridor out of the room. "Could you bring my breakfast to my room this morning? I don't feel like eating with everyone else today."

He stopped for several seconds, expecting an answer. Karin raised one eyebrow.

"All right, fine. I just don't want to be seen by Ocheeva, she is still angry at me for that little mishap. I keep telling her I didn't do it, but she says only I could have gotten an idea like that," he walked back to his room.

Karin was furious now. "Now he wants me to bring food to him like an obedient little servant?" She fumed for several more seconds. As she prepared the next pancake, she saw a fly land on the table.

...That's when she realized that the spatula is a lot like a fly-swatter...

...And a crushed fly is a lot like a blueberry...

...And Vicente is a lot like a toad...

"That is funny," she murmured, the last of her angriness melting away at the thought of this small revenge.

* * *

Ocheeva was confused. She was sure the vampire had been avoiding her, so it could not been him who pulled those pranks. Just this morning, she nearly stepped into a huge bowl full of water and an extremely hungry slaughterfish while getting out of bed. Since Vicente had been careful not to step into her line of sight since the first incident, it was not him who was behind these pranks. She had also never known him to like fishing. 

Now, she watched as Karin walked down the hall to bring Vicente his food. It was probably the Breton that done the prank. She would need to speak to her. Ocheeva walked down the hallway, to Vicente's room. She stood right outside the door, wondering whether to knock or not. She raised her hand to knock…

And was promptly knocked down as it opened and Karin, her limbs all but a blur, sped down the hallway and out the sanctuary into the abandoned house, and presumably, outside. She was shortly followed by Vicente, who yelling curses ran after her, but stopped at the door. Ocheeva was now completely lost as to what had happened. As she got up she intended to ask Vicente, but the look on his face stopped her from even trying. Superior in rank or not, she did not want to be on the bad side of a 300-year old completely outraged vampire. Feeiling sorry for the new recruit, she retreated back into the safety of her room and locked the trapdoor.

* * *

Karin was perched atop of Riverview Manor wondering how to get back onto Vicente's good side. She had not expected him to realize so quickly and she presumed she had enough time to grab her things. As a result, she was stuck in her Dark Brotherhood armor (not something you can just walk around the city in) and until night, it would not even be possible to sneak through the city to the abandoned house. The only reason she got out undetected was her potion of invisibility, and she only had one.

Feeling like there was nothing to do till nightfall, she jumped over the city wall and walked around. In several minutes, she had walked to an old fort. Deciding to explore further because she had nothing better to do, she walked inside.

After succesfully dodging several traps and sneaking around some skeletons that seemed vaguely familiar, she was finally in the last room. Hoping for something good, and perhaps something different to wear, she opened a few chests, acquiring a new outfit, several poisoned apples, and a few choice poisons. The things she did not dare to touch were the human hearts, and she wondered what a book on the five tenets of the Dark Brotherhood could be doing here. Also, she felt she had seen those skeletons someplace before.

She looked once more across the room. A glint caught her eye. Karin moved towards it. It seemed to be a jewel, made of black ebony. She carefully picked it up and put it on. Her magical senses found it to be enchanted with a powerful spell, but she could not figure out what it was. She put it in the pocket of her newly found clothes, climbed up the ladder to a hidden entrance, and started to walk back to Cheydinhal.

* * *

Vicente had been in a foul mood all day, wondering when the girl would dare to come back. He had been intensely annoyed by the insect he had eaten, and slightly excited by the challenge. It had been long before anyone had tried any tricks on him. He had planned a clever trap; one that the little Breton could not escape from. 

Yes, the insect had been a nasty surprise to his enchanced sences, he was just thankful to Sithis the girl did not know about his allergy to garlic…yet…

* * *

Karin did not need to sneak anymore, not now since she had normal clothes. She walked into the city, and down to the abandoned house. Briefly checking to see no one would see her, she quietly slipped in. Once inside, she changed back into her Shrouded Armor, and walked towards the Sanctuary door. It still scared her, but this time she was thankful for it. It was resistant to spells, and only the key word would bulge it.

"Maybe I can do something about the door being so damn scary," Karin thought with a smirk. She scanned the room for something she could use for it. Her gaze then settled on an object. She smiled, took the charcoal chunk, and started drawing on the door...

After she was done with her masterpiece, she pocketed the charcoal piece, and uttered the key words.

_Sanguine, My Brother_

* * *

Vicente had heard the door open, so he silently rose from his chair, put down his book, and went to see what would happen to the little mischievious imp of a Breton. He was now surprised she was not related to either a scamp or an imp, for she could sometimes act just like one. He walked up the corridor into the main chamber, and watched as the girl was paralyzed and sent to sleep.

Grinning at the amazing catch, he dismissed the enchantments and lifted Karin. She was breathing regularly and in deep sleep. He then carried her towards the training room. Vicente knew exactly how to repay the prank she pulled on him. He smiled even wider, and if Karin was able to see the protruding fangs, even she would have thought twice about annoying him.

* * *

"Ow," Karin woke up to a splitting headache, and a choking sensation at her throat. She moved her head slightly...and recieved a world of pain for her efforts. She was caught by Vicente's trap, and it had not been pleasant. She could remember a spell and a lot of green light, and she blacked out. What she could not explain were the dreams that followed. She was inside a prison, with a very nasty Dunmer making fun of her. Then someone, or someones, had appeared and then...she woke up.

Now feeling well enough to stand, she decided to open her eyes. She was met by the familiar face of Teinava. Before she could ask him what had transpired he asked.

"Dear Sister, what have you done this time?"

Not knowing what he meant by those words, she stood up carefully and moved towards the door. She was stopped by a metal cord wrapped around her neck and fastened to the wall. So that what was causing the suffocation. She moved farther experimentally. The cord tightened, restricting her breathing. Quickly, Karin moved back towards the wall.

Teinava smiled. "That was not a smart thing to do, sister. Next time at least watch out for traps more."

"I didn't know that he would over-react over a fly in his breakfast," Karin said apologetically. "I'm hungry," she added with a little afterthought.

"I'll see what I can bring you. Don't worry, the food is safe," he added seeing Karin's discomfort, "Marie is not back yet, and Vicente would not want to cook even if his life depended on it." Adding that, he left the training room. Karin looked at her prison. She was stuck here, with nothing to do. She looked over to an urn full of green paint and several brushes, and she decided to entertain herself. Picking them up, she proceeded to paint the nearest chair she could reach.

* * *

Lucien was nearly laughing as Teinava told him of what had happened that day. He could not believe that the little Breton girl who had been scared wordless when he appeared to her to admit her into the Dark Brotherhood could actually do that. Usually Vicente scared new recruits senseless.

Then, he had to admit the Breton had a sense of mischief and humor. Her method of dispatching Rufio had been more than amusing. The old man was playing charades with the innkeeper, when Karin sent a weak shock spell into him, unnoticed by everyone, including the old man himself. The shock caused his heart to distrupt and finally stop. It was hilarious to see him falling on the floor while the innkeeper and some other Redguard woman trying to tell what he was acting. He was silenced by Karin's spell, and as he struggled, the two others kept yelling "You're dying,""You're suffering a seizure,""Heart attack!"

The only problem she seemed to have was her lack of authority. She had called Lucien by his first name, which frankly got on his nerves. He would have to deal with that later. Everyone in the sanctuary shows him respect by calling him speaker, except for Vicente. That is solely because Vicente was several times older and once outranked Lucien.

He decided to go visit her. He walked in the training room, and saw Karin sitting there, looking extremely bored, but not daring to move because of the fear of suffocation. He had trouble stifling a laugh. She apparently noticed it and inquired, "Something funny, Lucien?" with a serious face. She had trouble keeping that face though, and several seconds, she dropped laughing to the floor.

Lucien walked over to the closest chair. Karin suddenly sat up and said between laughter, "There's wet paint there." Lucien looked at her for a moment, and touched the arm of the chair with his gloved hand. Nothing had imprinted off, so he proceeded to sit down.

Karin started laughing even harder. Lucien waited patiently to ask her, "What is so funny in your opinion, murderer?"

She had a hard time keeping a straight face as she said, "Tell a person there are 400 billion stars, and he will believe you. Tell a person a bench has wet paint on it, he will have to touch it. Lucien, I'm sorry, but I had warned you. The armrests were the places I didn't get enough paint for."

This time she didn't laugh, because Lucien had jumped up, looking at the back of his robe, now a fluorescent green color. He kneeled next to Karin, and grabbed her by her carrot hair, lifting her face to look at his. His expression of extreme anger was matched by the expression of extreme fear in Karin. Her wide eyes stared back at him. He had wanted to punish her severely, but one look at her face had left him feeling guilty for his rash action. She had obviously never intended any harm, only as a practical joke. He even changed his mind about letting her call him by his first name.

In Karin's mind, she only had room for one thought. "_Gods, he is going to kill me." _She had assumed that what Gogron had told her about scraping the blood off of his boots had been nothing but rumor. Now she was ready to believe him.

Lucien let go of her hair, rising. He half-turned away, as if in regret (which Karin doubted), and said, "I'll be sure to pay more attention to what you say next time, sister." Then examening the stain on his back one last time, he added, "Are you going to use your time on practical jokes such as this? I hear you have not accepted any contracts. You best get to work."

Karin was still speechless. Then gathering all of her strength, she answered, "Yes, Speaker," scared out of her wits to call him by his formal title. She still obviously did not believe she was being let of the hook that easily.

Lucien helped her up. "I'm sorry for my rashness. And just call me Lucien," he said before leaving out through the front door, leaving a very confused Karin.

* * *

Ocheeva ran in as soon as Lucien was out of earshot. "Sister, are you alright?" her face was filled with concern. Lucien left really quietly, with a very obvious green stain on the back of his robes. Nearly everyone saw it, and Ocheeva was worried that Karin played a lethal joke. She was still even more surprised when Karin collapsed on the floor unconsious.

* * *

Several days later, Vicente felt that Karin had done enough repentance, and sent Mraaj-Dar to remove the chain. Mraaj-Dar, needless to say was not very pleased. He did like Karin though, they bounced insults off of each other and it kept them always wary.

"Vicente says I have to let you go, sister," he emphasized the last to show her that it was obviously sarcasm.

"Yep, love thine enemies: It really makes them angry," Karin taunted.

"If it were me, I would keep you locked up, you foul smelling ape. Your contract is on the parchment." Mraaj-Dar released the chain and walked back out.

Karin loosened the chain, and read her assignment. She already had a good idea in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2, sorry it took a long time, I didn't know how to update my own story...silly me.

* * *

Karin sat on the Red Road Bridge across the Upper Niben Bay, her hair slightly in front of her face, enough to cover her right eye. She got up and left the waterfront early that morning after spending a night at her house (shack is more like it). The _Marie Elena_ was leaving this morning, after a week of unhauling cargo and buying new load. They were to leave towards Leyawin, where they would reach open sea. 

She looked over to the hapless highwayman who tried to stop her. "Pity he won't be seeing this," she thought. The show would be spectacular, if the ship got here on time.

_There!_ The ship was now visible, sailing slowly towards the bridge. Karin got out her snack, something she called popcorn. She discovered it while trying to fry corn. Karin was very surprised to hear popping sounds, and astinished at the mass of white puffy stuff inside the kettle. Of course, the name was not very inventive; she just combined the sound _pop_ with the name corn.

On the ship, things were calm. The captain was on deck inspecting his crew working. Everything looked peaceful. Karin watched as the first mate dark elf female walked over to talk to the Captain. Apparently he didn't like what he heard. They went belowdeck.

Karin held out her crystal ball. Unlike legend, these tools did not foretell the future. They could see what was happening somewhere else. However, the knowledge was not preserved, and it took a lot of magicka. She still could not explain why she could do it, yet no one else to whom she showed this technique could. Gazing into its depths, she watched as the swirling clouds disappeared, leaving a clear view of the lower deck of the galleon.

Karin could not project sound, so she had to content with watching as Gaston smelled the air like a wary dog, and once deciding it not to his taste, perhaps rotten fruit, he lit a torch to see better in the darkness of the hold.

_**Boom!**_ A mushroom shaped cloud rose over the flaming skeleton of the once proud ship. Tinder was flying everywhere, and starteled slaughterfish were thrown out of the water as the ship exploded with such force, sheets of water were sent in every direction.

Karin sat there, munching on the popcorn, looking at the spectacular show of flame and water. She was completely sure nothing had survived.

Standing up only after the last of the flames had died away, she turned to walk back to Cheydinhal.

She couldn't help thinking "_Thanks for the recipe, Antoinetta!"_

* * *

Telaendril stared at the door. Her eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth open caught midway in a gasp/oath. She looked at the quickly sketched landscape. A huge weeping willow dominated the scene. With enough imagination, you could see the caring mother with her child in one hand and a blanket in another under the sweeping branches of the tree. Four other kids were playing small flutes. The sun was setting behind black mountains, giving the rest of the scene a red look. 

The overall effect was quite pleasant; the way the scary skulls and blood had been formed into a peaceful scenery and the door would have been hardly recognizable. Telaendril shook her head in wonder. Ocheeva was not going to like this.

* * *

Karin decided to take a break from murder, and decided to join the Mages' Guild. The Cheydinhal hall leader was a very scary looking Altmer. After talking with the other members, she gathered some very unpleasant rumors about him. "Might as well get it over with," she thought. 

Falcar had instructed her to retrieve a ring from the well. She still did not know what he meant with it being "hard to carry", but she still decided to proceed. Taking off her weapons and armor, she prepared for the ice cold water. Taking a deep breath, she dived in.

_"Freezing!_" she thought, shivering profusely. Then she saw something that made her shudder even more, and it wan't because of the cold. She saw the completely dead apprentice. She immedeately noted he was not floating, as most corpses do. As she swam over to him, she retrieved the ring from his shirt pocket. Or at least, she tried to.

The ring was heavy. No, it was immensly heavy. With a quick calculation, she figured it was as heavy as a full set of heavy armor. Running out of air, she decided to let go or risk sharing Vidkun's (the apprentice) fate. However, she was sure to snag the strange plant making an annoying ringing noise, amplified by the water.

* * *

Karin walked back towards the abandoned house, recommendation in her hand. Turns out the Altmer had run away, and he had been a Necromancer too! Well, she still got what she came for. She had also showed the alchemist, Eilonwy, the strange root that she had found. The mer had told her to go to Skingrad and find Sinderion, supposedly a master alchemist. 

After getting inside the abandoned house through a window on the far side, she walked cautiously towards the door. This time, she would be vigilant for any traps that anyone could set up. Not finding anything, she pulled a strand of her orange hair in front of her face and answered the door's question and walked through...

...Walked through only to find Ocheeva standing there, waiting for her.

* * *

They were sitting at the dining table; everyone in the sanctuary was there, even Schemer, eating venison, and the Dark Guardian. That was rare, seeing as someone was always away either completing a contract or buying supplies. Right now they were eating dinner, cautiously poking every single piece of food to see wether it would explode or skitter away from the plate. So far no accidents have occured. After a reprimanding from Ocheeva, Karin sulked over to the dining table, where everyone was waiting for them to begin eating. 

"So, dear sister, how was your first contract?" Teinava said to break up the sour atmosphere of the company.

"It was a blast," Karin said with a smug smile. "The entire ship blew up."

"How did you manage to do that," Vicente asked, his curiosity aroused.

"It was sort of easy. I got a lot of food, and some fire salts. It was a simple matter to fill the crates with food and some fire salt. The fire salt is extremely corrosive, and when corroding, it creates a strong smell. It is also very explosive once it mixes with some foods. When the ship had set sail, the salts had already burned through the wood. A pirate would walk in there and would smell something wrong. I guessed that nothing could be seen in the dark, so it was a good bet that the pirate would get a torch, sending the fire salts aflame, and the alchohol, rum, and other beverages would do the rest."

"That sounds familliar," Mraaj-Dar said. Heads turned towards Antoinetta. Everyone had been there when she blew up half the kitchen area and set the furniture on fire. The would-be cook spent the rest of the week in a coma-like state as Mraaj-Dar tried to heal her burns.

"I was trying to make the food spicy," Antoinetta pouted, staring back at the people looking at her. "I didn't know it would blow up."

"It is a wonder Karin could come up with that plan, stupid rat," Mraaj-Dar was back to his usual insults.

"If I wanted your opinion, I'll beat it out of you," Karin replied, undaunted. Ocheeva started to rise...

..."My food is running away!!!"

* * *

Karin looked up at the sky. It was the 25th of Mid Year. The scorching weather had never been to her liking. She liked cold weather so much, that some people had joked for her to be part nord. She wasn't, but she did want to visit Skyrim sometime soon. 

Dislodging her daydreams, she focused back to the task on hand. At least she was going to Bruma next, for her contract led her there. She didn't like it. The method of execution had already been chosen, leaving her no room to improvise. Karin was to kill an old man by dropping a stuffed minotaur head while he was reclining in his chair. She sighed and continued walking along the road up into the Jeral Mountains.

* * *

The contract had been a complete success, and Karin felt somewhat assuaged. Not only was it chilly, while she was there, she could visit the Bruma Mages' Guild hall and get her recommendation there. As she walked up the stairs to the building, she noticed a small fortress, up on a nearby mountain. It looked like a temple. 

Shrugging it off, Karin walked into the hall.

* * *

J'Skar watched as the newcomer walked in through the doorway. She was obviously a Breton, but J'Skar also noticed how she kept some strands of hair in front of her face, just enough to cover her right eye. He could tell she was a mage, from the way that she turned to look at him. It was impossible that she could see him with the naked eye, because he had cast an invisibility spell on himself. He cursed silently. If this Breton told Jeanne what he was up to, he would need to get a new idea. It did infuriate him that his guild hall leader managed to get a high position without skill enough to even cast a detect life or dispell spell. In fact, she spent the entire day casting a charm spell on herself to make it easier to butter up the right people. 

The Breton newcomer turned away and walked up to Jeanne. J'Skar moved closer to hear what was being said.

"To get a recommendation, you need to find J'Skar. He's dissappeared, and it is going to look bad for me if someone from the council would visit and find him gone." Jeanne was explaining. The Breton newcomer nodded and turned away. Making sure that Jeanne was looking the other way, she motioned for J'Skar to follow her.

Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, she decided to talk.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Please, don't be mad. I was just having some fun. It's just tiring to see Jeanne lording her position over us when she hardly knows anything about her own craft," he explained, pleased to see the Breton agree with it. "Ah, this prank was getting old anyways, it was god while it lasted." With that, he dispelled the invisibility spell he kept for several days now. "By the way, what is your name, Breton?"

She smiled and answered, "Karin."

As she walked away, J'Skar wondered. Despite being Breton, she reminded him of a Khajiit, and it wasn't just the way she had acted. And he also wondered why she kept hair in front of her face, wouldn't that hamper her eyesight?

* * *

Before leaving the Guild Hall, she decided to play a little prank of her own. After sharing her plan with Volonaro, she proceeded with the plan. As she crept up the stairs to Jeanne's room, she prepaired her potion of invisibility. It was no regular potion either. This one she modified to work on inanimate objects. She moved a cabinet from the room, and wedged it in the doorway. After having done that, she covered it carefully with the potion, making sure to leave no area exposed. It should stay invisible for several hours. When it would start wearing off, it would become more translucent until back to its original state.

As she finished, she went back down to the basement to tell J'Skar. She was sure he was going to like her prank. She was starting to like that Khajiit. She paused for a second, her hand rising to her unruly hair, feeling for what was hidden under it. She hated being multiracial.

J'Skar did like the joke though. The three of them were watching, invisible, as Jeanne walked up the stairs and walked right smack into the invisible drawer. They were trying hard not to laugh as she tried again and got the same result. They had to silence themselves as they watched Jeanne try to figure out how to get past the invisible obstruction. Apparently, even though she used a lot of illusion charm spells, she still didn't know what an invisibility spell was. After several more tries, she decided to sleep downstairs.

Sharing one last farewell, and a promise to visit them again soon, Karin went to spend the night at Olav's Tap and Tack.

* * *

The pub was bustling with activity. Drunk Nords were singing and yelling enough to wake half the city. Several got into fights, only to be hauled away by the guards especially on duty to look out for barside brawls. Despite being Breton, Karin fit right in. She didn't get nearly as drunk as the Skyrim people, but since she was not used to that much alchohol, she got intoxicated very quickly.

Soon, the whole pub cracked into a friendship song. It described how to help friends the traditional Nord way. One of the verses went...

_When you are sad, I'll get you drunk and help plot revenge against that sorry lad._

_When you are blue, I'll help to dislodge whatever is choking you._

_This oath I pledge to the end. Why? Because you're my friend!_

...There were 57 verses, and it didn't get any better. Karin didn't know the verses, but on every chorus she would pitch in, along with Skjorta sitting next to her. Then a Nord asked her to recite a poem. Karin, nearly drop-dead-drunk readily agreed. Even through the headache, she could still recite the poem clearly.

_I woke early one morning, the earth lay cool and still,_

_When suddenly a tiny bird perched on my window sill,_

_He sang a song so lovely, so carefree and so gay,_

_That slowly all my troubles began to slip away._

_He sang of far off places, of laughter, and of fun._

_I stirred beneath the covers, crept slowly out of bed,_

_Then slammed shut the window, and crushed his f#$& head!_

"I'm not a morning person," she finished dramatically, as the room exploded into applause.

The rest of the night was spent listening to poetry of various sorts, and the revelry lasted until well after midnight. When Karin did get to bed, she could barely stand. After she changed, she fell on the bed and without getting under the covers, she fell asleep instantly.

* * *

"Ow," Karin said, not for the first time that morning. Her head felt like it was about to split open. It was around noon, but her killer headache still bothered her. Skjorta was right. Drinking all night was alright, but the hangover had left her in a foul mood that morning. She sighed and looked at the clock at the top of the chapel. She would need to set out soon if she wanted to make it to Cheydinhal by nightfall.

* * *

"Good job on your contract, Slayer," Vicente said after Karin had told him she successfully completed her contract. He had given her a promotion and an enchanted dagger for her efforts. Karin had accepted them quietly. It was very unlike her. As she turned to leave, Vicente smelled a faint scent. He could smell the difference between the races of Tamriel, and sometimes even crossbreeds, but this combination made him doubt his senses. Shacking his head in wonder, he went back to his book. He also wondered what in Sithis' name she was drinking.

* * *

Sorry its short, but I got homework to do. Will upload a new chapter tomorrow.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

"Aw, please?" Karin asked, not for the first time and certainly not the last.

"No," was Vicente's answer, again.

Teinava, intrigued, walked into Vicente's room to see what the little scamp was trying to start. "Karin, what is wrong now?"

"The old bag of bones is no fun at all."

"I'm too old for this, about three centuries in fact." Vicente calmly answered. Although even for an immortal undead his patience was wearing thin.

"What about a race?" she still didn't give up. Teinava wondered whether or not she had a deathwish.

"No. Besides, being a vampire with superhuman strength, I can easily beat you in any game you choose."

Teinava decided to intervene. "If you are so restless, why don't we play a simple card game? There are some cards in Ocheeva's room. Vicente, remember them? We took it off that Redguard pirate from Hammerfell several years ago."

Vicente winced at the memory. "I remember. I also recall that you had to kill the witnesses. All 36 of them," He snickered.

"Fine, lets play cards," Karin finally decided. She was also not looking forward to listening to the two senior members of the brotherhood recap their glory days.

"We play 'Swords & Hammers'. There is only one goal, and you can use any means to achieve it: win." Teinava explained as he passed out the old cards.

As Karin held up her cards, she noticed they were ancient; she was sure they were at least as old as Vicente. "These cards are mighty beat up. There are many scratches and worn off paint. Perhaps you guys know which cards are which by them?" She laughed at her joke.

She stopped just as she noticed the evil grins that spread across Teinava's and Vicente's faces. For a second there she was stunned into speechlessness. "Y-you c-can't be serious," she finally managed to stutter out.

"We are. For starters, allow me to name all your cards starting with the 6 of blades on the far left and going right…"

* * *

"You lose again, you foul-smelling ape." 

"This is called cheating, that's why!"

"I said there is only one rule, to win, sister."

"This is insane."

"You'll learn soon enough. I was under the impression that you wanted a challenge, no?"

"Shut up, you undead corpse."

"Aggh! Antoinette, what did you put in these sweetrolls?"

"Hey, I know what! Lets make the loser eat one of Antoinette's fresh made and semi-lethal snacks!"

"You want to kill me, Gorgon?!?"

"Hey! My cooking isn't that bad!"

"Ocheeva, hand me your 3 of maces."

"I hoped you wouldn't notice it, but oh well, dear brother."

"Ha! Sword & Hammer, I win!"

"Karin, you lose again. Here, have a snack."

"I'm not eating that. I'm leaving. Bye!" Karin yelled as she sprinted out of Vicente's room.

"Get her!"

* * *

Karin was crouching in a corner, invisible. There was no question of leaving the sanctuary. While she could easily get away, getting back inside would be a problem. So she stood there, barely breathing for fear of disturbing the air, waiting for someone to find her. They were fast. Gorgon was already strategically placed in front of the entrance, blocking it completely with his massive frame. Mraaj-Dar was searching every corner with his custom bloodhunt spell. Teinava and Vicente searched the original way. Ocheeva, and Antoinetta were the only ones not looking for her. The Breton had said something about snacks and cooking before stomping off to the living quarters. 

She knew she wouldn't have a lot of time. It wouldn't be long before someone would find her using a detect life spell. She would be exposed, even if invisible, and forced to consume a perfect example of Antoinetta's destructive cooking. The effects ranged from paralysis to frostburn to an easy rival of an Enemies Explode spell she had seen a mage from Bravil cast. She would rather die than eat one of Antoinetta's sweetcakes, although she would still probably die even if she did eat one. Either way, there was no choice.

She held her breath as Teinava passed by, not for the first time. She knew she had to find a hiding place fast or risk intense pain. She crept slowly down the stairs back to Vicente's room. Karin sorely hoped that the vampire would be out. That bugger could smell the difference between Teinava and Ocheeva, and those two were egg twins.

Slowely inching to the door, she peeked inside. Vicente was not there, she saw, feeling grateful to Sithis for that small favor. At least he wasn't displeased with her. However, that luck did not last. As she moved over to the trapdoor, she suddenly felt a presence behind her. She didn't have to turn to know who it was. Only a bloody vampire could sneak like that.

"Karin, I'd appreciate it if you would show yourself and end this hide-and-seek game. Teinava and Mraaj-Dar have already nearly destroyed half my room, and I would like to have some of the room left habitable." Vicente said as he scanned the room. He then cast a detect life spell and looked again.

Karin felt his eyes on the back of her neck. She braced for the inevitable dispell missile coming her way. Then something incredible happened. She heard Vicente turn, and after a few seconds walk away. Unbelieving and wondering if it was a trap, she looked back. The vampire had indeed left, but she didn't know why. He would've certainly seen her and turned her in to her family members. The only reason why he would leave would either be he had let her go, which was very unlikely, or that he had not seen her. She didn't think it made any sense. He had a detect life spell active, and there was no magic that could hide someone alive, or even undead, from that.

Deciding to test the latter theory, she risked detection by dispelling her invisibility and casting her weak detect life spell. As the purple cloud receded, a violet shape materialized into her sight, representing Vicente, who was walking away rapidly. When he got out of range, the shape slowly dissipated. She then braced herself, looked at her body, and gasped. The purple cloud, an intricate thing all living (and unliving) organisms showed under the spell, was nowhere in her body.

* * *

Vicente was frustrated. He had felt her scent in his room, and he had felt certain that she was in there. However, when he searched it with his detect life spell, he had seen nothing. There wasn't a spell or enchantment on Nirn or the planes of Oblivion that could hide someone's life aura. He wasn't sure how it exactly worked. Still, since the little imp was somewhere in the sanctuary, and he was going to find out where. He walked to the center of the main hall, to be sure to cover each part of the sanctuary, and expanded his spell to legendary proportions. 

Mraaj-Dar walked up next to him. "I've already tried that, and the scamp is nowhere to be seen. Could she have left the sanctuary?" he asked.

"I doubt it. Not even Schemer can get past Gorgon when he blocks that door," Vicente answered, although with a small uncertainty tone creeping into his voice.

"Well, you see the proof. She is not here. Detect life spells do not lie." Mraaj-Dar said.

"How do they work? In all my life I have never bothered to wonder about that."

"There are several theories, and no one knows for sure. There are some who say it is the body that contains an element that glows when exposed to the spell, while others claim that it is a part of a person's mind that is able to see into aetherius, the place where life flows. The theories range from fantasy to fairly plausible."

"Which one do you believe?" Vicente inquired with some hope.

"I don't wory about things like that. It works, and that is good enough for me." Mraaj-Dar replied dryly and he turned to walk away. "Lore-keeping and rumors were my cousing's job. If you really want to know, you'll have to go see him."

And before Vicente could reply, he heard a resounding crash and scream coming from the general direction of his room.

* * *

Karin couldn't hold the scream of terror back. If her aura was gone, was she even alive? She couldn't be a ghost, because those still displayed an aura. She never even noticed she didn't have one: she didn't remember the last time she had cast that spell and looked at herself. She couldn't believe it. All of the rules said that she could not exist, yet here she was, apparently still alive. 

_Apparently..._

She felt hands grabbing her and keeping her from falling. Through clouded sight she could see the concerned faces of Vicente and Mraaj-Dar looking at her, trying to figure out what was wrong. Karin tried to wrestle with her emotions, but the sudden explosion made that feel as impossible as trying to knock down Gorgon in his heavy armor.

_I'm still here, which means I'm still alive. I am solid, for I can touch things and I can't walk through walls._

As she thought that, her eyesight became cleared and more focused.

_It could be my detect life spell, faulty as it is._

Reassured by that last thought, she finally stood up, albeit still somewhat dizzy.

"Are you alright, sister?" she could hardly hear Vicente's voice through the buzzing in her head.

"Huh? Oh, yea, I'm alright, I suppose," Karin could see that Vicente and Mraaj-Dar were not convinced.

"How come Vicente hasn't seen you? He scoured the entire sanctuary with a detect life spell. You could not have escaped that," Mraaj-Dar asked suspiciously. Vicente noted the expression on Karin's face, as if she had hoped the question would come up later, if at all.

"Vicente, do you have any contracts for me at this time?" she asked suddenly. Vicente was a little taken back by the sudden change of topic. "Why, yes. There is a special contract. You must kill a man named Valen Dreth who resides in the Imperial Prison," he said.

"Good, I'll be on my way then. Goodbye!" and Karin nearly ran out the door in her haste to get away. Vicente and M'raaj-Dar turned to look at each other. A look that shared the same thought: what just happened?

"It is very suspicious. What do you think, Vicente?" Mraaj-Dar finally voiced his opinion when Karin was out of earshot.

"It is. I would look into it in my spare time. Now what were you saying about this cousin of yours?" Vicente answered, still looking slightly bewildered, which was quite a show of emotion for a vampire.

"He travels often, so it might be difficult tracking him down. His hobby is collecting calipers, believe it or not," Mraaj-Dar sighed. "He does hang out at Anvil or Leyawin sometimes."

"Sounds like a nice fellow. What is his name?"

"Maiq the Liar."

"That is a strange name," Vicente mused to himself. "Now leave, I'm going to try and salvage what is left of my room. I'm going to need a new door..."

* * *

Karin walked quickly down the road. She was still thinking about what the absence of her aura had meant. Her brisk pace was tiring her out, but she didn't even notice. She stopped and looked around. According to her map, the entrance to the sewers was right across from the Ayleid ruin of Vilverin. She scanned the opposite coast for the pipe. Karin sighed as she found it: she would have to swim across. Walking towards the water, blasting mudcrabs out of the way, she switched her thoughts to the task at hand. 

She put her hand in the water. It felt cool and refreshing to the touch. Not bothering to undress, she dived in head first. She lingered underwater, feeling the chill sweep over her. Her hair was swept back by the current, and her skirt was rippling as if in a strong wind. She loved water; it gave her a certain sence of freedom, for it flowed where it willed, along the easiest path. Reluctantly, she started to swim for the other shore. She had a job to do, and the Rumere Slaughterfish were not known for their friendliness. She knew that from her experience of trying to catch a few alive and biting.

Soaking wet, she got out of the water. Now the wind felt freezing, but she did not want to leave the fresh air. However, as she stood there, she seemed to phase out of the real world, into a vision. In her mind, the sky turned blood red. It became devilishly hot, and the ground became a scorched black. Even the river now emitted heat, as it had turned into a boiling lake of lava. The siluette of the Ayleid ruin had vanished, to be replaced by a sinister and very high dark tower. Overwhelmed by the sheer force of the change, Karin, unable to keep her balance, fell face first into the lava. She felt it burn horribly, and she struggled to get out, only to fall back in. She crawled back out and realized it was only the clear blue river. In her panic, she had mistaken the chill for burning. She looked up. The monstrous vision had gone. Wondering at wether it was just her imagination or not, she failed to notice how cold it was. As it was, she became almost numb from the cold in her soaked clothes. Seeking refuge from the freezing wind, she opened the squeaking door of the sewers and stepped inside.

She instantly regretted it. Her sensitive nose was complaining to the smells that assaulted her. She tore off a strip of her skirt and tied it around her nose and mouth. The smell did not disappear, but at least it became tolerable. Then she proceeded to change into her Dark Brotherhood armor. Karin found she liked the black leather armor, because of its light weight and strong enchantments. All of the straps were useful for carrying poisons and small daggers. However if not fastened tightly, the clasps tended to clink when she was moving.

Karin walked quietly through the sewers, avoiding goblins and rats. Her mind was still on the landscape she had seen. Even though she saw it for a few seconds, the image became branded into her mind, and she knew that it would stay with her until the rest of her life. It looked like hell. A burning, scorching, and hot desert. Adding the mysterious landscape to the list of things she needed to look into, Karin climbed up a long stairway to a ladder that led to her destination.

* * *

Lucien was dumbfounded. He had been gone from his hideout for only a couple of weeks, yet somehow a thief or adventurer had gotten through the defences and managed to steal quite a few things. The idea of anyone getting past his Dark Guardians was prepostrous. The mere thought of even a rat getting through the traps he had placed himself was unthinkable. The secret entrance which he used Lucien was sure was hidden well enough. Yet, facts told him that someone had managed to get through, and steal some of his things. Among the things gone was a set of clothes, a few of his choice poisons he had made himself, and the new batch of poisoned apples he kept in a barrel and locked with a specially hard lock even he would break a few lockpicks if he needed to pick it. Thankfully, he had a key.

That did not concern him as much as the fact that the ring he took from a Morag Tong assassin was gone too. Such a shame. Lucien hadn't even figured out what the ring did, only that it had been oddly fascinating and immensly powerful. The design on the ring was strange, however. It showed two moons, presumably Masser and Secunda. During the long hours in which he studied it, he could have sworn the two moons changed phases, but when he tried to focus on the movement it remained motionless. Finally, he chalked it down to exhaution and over-concentration.

Sighing, he took a look around the room. He would need a few days to rethink the traps to make sure of no further break-ins. As for the ring, well, it was interesting but he could do without it. Getting out a scroll that contained the blue-prints of the fort and all of his traps, he began to study it, occasionally making a new sketch with a quill over where he thought security could be breached.

_Such a pity about the ring, though._


End file.
